Wet, warm Sierra storms set to bring heavy, prolonged rainfall

6:35 AM,
Nov. 28, 2012

This NOAA satellite image taken Tuesday at 2 p.m. EDT shows a large low pressure system over the eastern Pacific Ocean that is expected to bring high winds to the coastal areas of the Pacific Northwest. Rain and mountain snow are expected as this system moves northeast.

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A series of strong but warm storms is lining up to hit the Reno-Tahoe area Wednesday through the weekend, bringing drenching mountain rains to all but the highest elevations.

No significant river flooding is expected but heavy rains could cause small streams to rise quickly and also pose erosion problems in areas burned by recent wildfires, experts said Tuesday.

"An atmospheric river is pretty much what we're looking at" as the coming storms tap an ample plume of moisture from the central Pacific, said Gary Barbato, a hydrologist from the National Weather Service office in Reno. ...